Business Support Officer - Adult Social Care

This Business Support Officer post sits in the Adult Social Care Business Support team at Reading Borough Council, supporting services for some of the town's most vulnerable residents. The work centres on answering enquiries, processing referrals into Mosaic, and handling financial administration, purchasing and records for several Adult Social Care teams. The role supports hybrid working. Candidates are assessed at a face-to-face interview with a short test, and need GCSE English and Maths at grade C or equivalent.

• Respond to telephone, face-to-face and email enquiries, giving accurate information and directing them to the right teams
• Process referrals and enter information accurately into electronic systems, including Mosaic
• Manage team inboxes, prioritise requests and escape urgent matters
• Prepare, scan, index and maintain documents and records
• Support financial administration: purchase orders, invoices, supplier information and purchasing card reconciliations
• Administer staff joining, moving or leaving the service, including IT accounts and equipment records
• Organise meetings and provide minute‑taking support for professional meetings
• Support the management, archiving and secure destruction of service user records
• Purchase goods and services, maintain equipment inventories and monitor stock levels
• Contribute to continuous improvement of administrative processes

• GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C or equivalent

• Previous experience in administration and customer service

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel, and Outlook
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a customer‑focused approach
• Strong organisation, prioritising and meeting deadlines
• Good typing, grammar and punctuation, with accurate, well‑presented work
• Accurate input, retrieval and maintenance of information across IT systems
• Understanding of confidentiality, data protection and professional boundaries

• Working independently and as part of a team
• Handling challenging enquiries sensitively and recognising and escalating urgent situations
• Willingness to learn new systems and undertake training

• Experience of Microsoft Teams and Share Point

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life assurance of three times annual salary (LGPS members)
• On‑site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season ticket loan for rail or bus travel to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme for a new, greener car over three years, including insurance, servicing and road tax
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in Reading